??ࡱ?>?? 13????0??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????7 ???bjbjUU ;7|7|???????l28R ^ 2? ?vvvvvvvv  $? _ j. vvvvv. ?vvC ???vvv ?v ?|?  vj ??R????2??  Y 0?  ? ??  ?22? The Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce recently backed a proposal allowing county residents to vote on whether to increase the sales tax to raise additional money for transportation-- but not education. School advocates such as Robert Griendling said the chamber's position abandons the needs of schools, while chamber president Judy Gray said a new strategy is needed because earlier this year the General Assembly rejected a plan tying transportation and education funding together. The decision by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce to back a transportation-only sales tax referendum bill is a blow to school advocates who had counted on a unified front from all sectors of county as they lobby for a bill in the legislative session that begins in January. The chamber's contention that only a bill without education will pass is not grounded in the facts, which are: The closest a sales tax bill came to passing last session was when education was a part of it. There were two more House votes for it than against it, but unfortunately, under House rules the bill required two additional votes to pass. The Senate vote was nearly unanimous in support. A recent Washington Post poll found a solid majority of voters in Northern Virginia supports a referendum for a sales tax bill that includes education, while a recent Mason-Dixon poll showed a majority were opposed to a transportation-only sales tax. Virginia Senate leaders have made it clear that a sales tax bill without education will not pass the Senate. With reapportionment allotting Northern Virginia and other urban areas more delegates, the chances would be improved that the transportation/education referendum bill would pass. There are no credible alternatives for fixing our schools. Shifting money from operations to the capital budget will seriously cripple education programs. Class size likely would increase and/or teacher salaries would decrease. Proposals to combine public and private funding have not proven themselves on a scale that Fairfax County needs. If the county allocates more money in its budget for debt service, other needs suffer because what is added for debt service is subtracted elsewhere. And with the state in virtual bankruptcy, that spigot is closing fast, no matter who is elected. Rather than bailing out on a sales tax for building new schools and repairing old ones, the chamber should more carefully consider what a declining school system would mean for businesses. Good schools attract good workers. Should Fairfax County's reputation for good schools decline, workers will opt for other places to live and learn -- and ironically may ride there on new roads Fairfax County citizens pay for. The exodus of workers is already happening with our most treasured workforce. Fairfax teachers know they can earn as much in outer counties nearer homes they can afford. Parents and educators shouldn't acquiesce to paternalistic claims that "years of experience" tell the chamber that a sales tax referendum bill with education in it can't pass the legislature. Nor should school advocates assume that once businesses get their sales tax bill, they'll find a solution to the school problem. Many politicians and school administrators have studied carefully most of the alternatives. It's doubtful that the chamber can suddenly make a viable one appear. Moreover, there is concern that what the business community may lobby for is a one-cent increase in the sales tax for transportation alone. If that passes, chances of getting sales tax money for schools would be lost for a long-time. School advocates shouldn't adopt a fatalistic attitude that they can't compete with businesses, given what businesses can spend to buy influence. We can compete, and should. We need to remind local and state representatives that while the chamber has money, each member has only one vote. And among the 2,500 companies that the chamber claims to speak for, many have said privately they agree that education and transportation should each be on the ballot. The political reality is that the chamber needs school advocates. Transportation projects that would be listed in the referendum would be a list of potential projects for people to vote against. But education on the referendum can help overcome those objections as people decide good schools are worth a couple of roads they'd rather not have. While I have no doubt the chamber means well, if school advocates don't actively oppose a transportation-only bill, the single best chance we have of fixing our schools and building new ones will be lost for many years. Robert Griendling Fairfax Griendling is a member of RENEW, a non-profit and non-partisan school advocacy organization in Fairfax County.  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